Washington Wizards Stars Shine in Victory vs. Magic

The Washington Wizards defeated the Orlando Magic 103-94 on Monday night, picking up consecutive wins for the first time this season and improving to 4-3. 

Washington arguably played their most complete game of the season, as they saw success on both ends of the court. Washington held their opponent to under 100 points in back-to-back games for the first since November 17th, 2017.

On the offensive side of the ball, the trio of Anthony Davis, A.J. Dybantsa and Kyshawn George dominated for Washington as they combined for 70 points.

Tonight's victory gave Washington fans a promising glimpse of what they can expect going forward as they hope to compete in a difficult Eastern Conference. 

Washington's offense clicked early on, in large part to Anthony Davis who scored 11 of Washington's 28 first quarter points. Davis continued to keep his foot on the gas, as he led the game in scoring with 27 points on 12/17 FG, while hauling in nine rebounds. 

Due to Davis' hot start, Washington was able to find a consistent offensive rhythm as they  used his gravity to create open looks. Washington would go into halftime with a narrow 60-59 lead, but would turn up the heat in the second half. 

Washington's group of athletic wings caused chaos defensively, especially A.J. Dybantsa and Bilal Coulibaly who combined for eight (!!!) stocks on the night. Orlando would only score 35 points in the second half, with Washington's size playing a major role in their success.

Dybantsa played his best game as a pro, scoring 21 points on 7/17 FG and setting a team best +10 plus minus. Dybantsa flashed his two-way upside throughout tonight's contest, but also displayed his ability to take over a game as he scored eight points on 3/4 shooting in the fourth quarter. 

Like Dybantsa, Kyshawn George played his best game of the season, scoring 22 points on 9/15 FG, and 4/8 from beyond the arc. George was able to find a shooting rhythm in what felt like the first time this season, which allowed for him to get to his spots in the midrange and play at his own pace. 

Outside of Davis, Dybantsa and George, the rest of the team was quiet as they only scored 33 points, with Trae Young scoring 15 of those. Although the scoring production from the bench unit wasn't there, they made up for it with their defense and rebounding. 

After the contest, Davis spoke out on Washington's strong defensive efforts saying, "we're a defensive minded team and that continues to show." 

Tonight's win was a team effort, and will be used as a building block for when they host the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, November 4th.